It was stamped by somebody at some point. There's little on the gun that's original. Somebody turned it into a parts gun for bowling-pin shooting long before I was born. I picked it up at a yard sale back in college, and as it turns out, it's pretty decent.

There are all sorts of contradicting numbers on the gun, but the one that would (conceivably) count would be the one on the frame. Heck, I've seen Smith & Wesson revolvers with new serial numbers stamped on for import.

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The serial number on the OP's receiver HAS been altered, and that's a Federal felony offense.

It's a gray area. I've seen surplus foreign military stuff on which the old serial numbers were obfuscated by importer stamps, or on which the numbers were replaced altogether. I see it on some of the recent Mosin Nagant imports.

It's hard to say where the line is drawn. The courts seem to be looking for an attempt to deceive.

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Sometimes it’s nice not to destroy the world for a change.
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